


Strawberries on a Summer Evening

by doridoripawaa



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Dorks in Love, F/M, Fluff, Strawberries, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25887424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doridoripawaa/pseuds/doridoripawaa
Summary: Maybe Xander's idea of a day off wasn't so bad after all.
Relationships: Marx | Xander & My Unit | Kamui | Corrin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Strawberries on a Summer Evening

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadyBergamot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyBergamot/gifts).



When the crown prince of Nohr had requested a day off to unwind, a day out laboring in the sun was not what Corrin had expected he had in mind.

Nevertheless, when Corrin had off-handedly mentioned that they should try to have some sweets to help them relax, she had unwittingly toppled the first domino that would spark an immense chain reaction: sweets to pie, specifically; a mention of pie to Jakob’s insistence that he bake his Lady Corrin a pie; Silas offering to fetch ingredients, as if to challenge Jakob; and Xander, joining in on the swirling, storming testosterone in the room, instead declaring that he would hand-pick the berries for the pie by himself.

Corrin could not exactly let her beloved go out into the fields on his own, so she had volunteered to accompany him. She had also decided to ignore Jakob’s burning gaze and Silas’ green eyes of envy that were boring into the prince’s back. They would never -- and could never -- act on their feelings, of course, but Corrin still was not keen on leaving him alone.

Plus, he was not exactly accustomed to these mellow, mundane tasks, which she rapidly learned when Xander asked her to carry a knife with them so that he could use it to cut the strawberries from their stems.

_ “We are  _ picking _ strawberries, Xander,” Corrin had told him gently. “Strawberry picking. Not strawberry slicing.” _

She did end up bringing a knife, but that was for self-defense and not for strawberries.

The sun was glistening overhead, coating the land with its warm touch. Corrin yawned and stretched her arms up above her head, and she gasped as her knuckles cracked. Anxiety and excitement had battled inside of her all night, preventing her from getting comfortable and resting as much as she would have liked. Apparently her joints were even stiffer than she had realized.

“That was a big yawn for a little princess,” a soft voice murmured behind her, and Corrin turned her head to see a familiar face staring back at her. She nearly jumped when she saw how close he was -- close enough for her to count his eyelashes.

“Good morning to you, too,” Corrin replied with a gentle grin, and she couldn’t help but feel a little rush of delight upon seeing how the simple smile had sent a flush of red across her husband’s cheeks. He stepped back and rose to his full height. He was certainly dressed for a day in the fields: khaki shorts, a cotton shirt, and… gods, were those  _ sandals _ ? “I didn’t know you owned casual clothes,” she commented nonchalantly. She wasn’t sure where to keep her gaze, though. If she looked at his eyes, she’d notice his chiseled jaw that stood out when he had his hair pulled back, like he did today. If she focused on his shirt, even if she simply stared at the pinstripe pattern, she’d undoubtedly stray to his collarbone or the outline of his pectoral muscles that looked distinguished even beneath the fabric. If she tried to admire the pockets on his pants, well… That was not an option, either.

“Oh, I don’t,” Xander told her with a laugh. “Laslow lent me these. I… also did not expect you to own… this kind of attire.”

Corrin looked down at her own sundress, with its sweetheart neckline and its ruffled skirt. She was worried that the rosy-colored dress was too bright, but her sisters had insisted that she wear it to match the berries. “Camilla borrowed it from Selena,” she explained. “I had no idea what to wear, but she was so eager to help that we solved the problem pretty easily. Selena has a surprisingly nice wardrobe,” she added, musing over the dresses and blouses that the feisty redhead had stored away. Did Camilla take her retainers shopping, or did Selena have enough free time to go into town often? Did Selena even have enough money to buy all of those dresses?

“Camilla, hmm?” Xander echoed, and he stroked his chin thoughtfully. Corrin couldn’t make out his entire face, which he had partially covered with his hand, but she was fairly certain that tinges of red were sprinkled across his cheeks. “Remind me to have a word with my sister later.”

“Noted.” Corrin stepped forward and reached up to Xander’s hand. He turned away, and the red peeking between his fingers seemed to turn a shade deeper. “Xander,” she chided. “Look at me.”

Xander turned his head ever so slightly, just enough for the two of them to make eye contact, but she still couldn’t see the majority of his face.

Corrin frowned and stretched her fingers out to grab onto his wrist. “Hold my hand,” she insisted.

“Is that an order, my little princess?”

Now it was her turn to become flustered. “I mean, not exactly… I can’t exactly give you orders, your princeliness.”

“You know, you really are quite adorable,” Xander murmured, and he finally slid his fingers into hers, interlocking their hands together. “Especially when you’re blushing.”

Before she could open her mouth to retort, Xander suddenly jumped up and removed his hand from hers. “Oh, but before we go, you need a hat. Your fair skin will absolutely blister and burn underneath the summer sun.”

Corrin waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, I spend plenty of time outside. I’ll be fine.”

Xander raised an eyebrow at her. “Do you really?” he asked, and then he chuckled softly. “Wait here while I go get you something.”

Corrin rolled her eyes and stepped forward to brush up against his side. “Can’t we just go? Those strawberries aren’t going to pick themselves.”

The prince stepped to the side and then whipped around to face her. “No. You’re wearing a hat,” he insisted. Suddenly he stooped down until he was eye level with her, and then he tenderly reached out and cupped her cheeks in his hands. They were surprisingly warm, and as callous-covered as they were, Corrin found comfort in their strength and stability. “And  _ that _ , little princess, is an order.”

* * *

Thank the gods for the Nohrian breeze.

Corrin reached up swiftly to pull on the edges of her hat, her fingers dancing on the thatched surface as she found her grip and tugged downward. The summer sun was blazing directly overhead, and as much as she hated to admit it, both the heat and light would have been unbearable if not for her straw hat with its wide brim. After Xander had gone to the trouble to fetch her a sunhat, she vowed to protect it with her life. ‘Always worrying about others,’ she noticed, and the corners of her mouth turned upwards.

“Here we are!” the blond young man boomed, and Corrin scurried up to stand beside him. He gestured widely out at the fields surrounding them, where scattered bushes popped out in every direction. “Where shall we begin, my little princess?”

Corrin squinted and looked both left and right, trying to determine which bush had more berries. Making decisions was not exactly her strong suit. “That one!” she decided, and she stretched out her arm to point to the left, nearly smacking Xander in the chest with her basket as she did so. “Sorry!” she gasped, immediately moving to retract her arm, but Xander grabbed a hold of her before she could retreat. He lifted her hand to his face and planted a soft kiss on her wrist.

“No need to apologize to me,” he murmured, and then he cast a tender look in her direction. “Are you sunburned already, or are you just embarrassed?” he asked, and for a moment, Corrin wasn’t sure if he was teasing her or not. Then his eyes glittered and he whispered, “Are you ready to let your guard down? It’s just me.”

For a split second, she wished she  _ had  _ actually hit him with her basket. The white-haired girl sighed and reached over with her other hand to pinch his elbow. He rapidly dropped her wrist and reached over to rub his elbow, and Corrin laughed before skipping off towards the bush. Her skip soon evolved into a full-blown gallop as Xander came rushing after her, probably seeking a little playful revenge. “Berries!” she reminded him. “We’re here for berries!” She dropped onto her knees in front of the bush and held up her basket in front of her face.

Xander pouted slightly but nodded in understanding. “We can’t let everyone down,” he agreed, and he dropped onto his knees beside her. “So, which ones are the best?” he asked, and he poked at the nearest berry, causing it to wiggle and sway on its stem.

Corrin giggled and pointed at a different berry a few inches to the right. “The reddest, plumpest berries are best,” she informed him. “That’s what Silas told me. They also have the greenest, freshest leaves.”

Xander moved his hand to get a closer look at the berry, and then he abandoned it for one on the neighboring stem. “This one looks plump,” he murmured. Carefully he pinched the berry between his index finger and his thumb, and he tugged on it.

A tantalizing, saccharine smell floated up to Corrin’s nostrils, and her mouth began to water. However, the sweetness of the scent contrasted sharply with the wide, horrified look on her precious husband’s face. Puzzled, Corrin tried to ignore her nose and instead focus on the scene before her with her eyes. She quickly grasped why he looked so mortified.

Sticky, scarlet juice had squirted out of the berry and all over Xander’s fresh cotton shirt as it popped underneath his touch. He blinked a few times, and slowly he tilted his head down to look at his chest, then he lifted his gaze again to gawk at his hand, and more importantly, the squishy, fruity flesh between his fingers.

“Oh my gods, are you okay?” Corrin asked, finally breaking the silence, and she reached over to try to wipe the juice off of his shirt. “What did you do?” As she brushed at the sticky, sugary liquid, a sense of hopelessness waved over her. The strawberry’s juice had completely soaked through the fabric.

Xander flicked his fingers, trying to shake them free of any remaining seeds or juice. “Why do you assume that I did something wrong?” he asked, and his lips puckered outward in a bit of a pout.

“It’s a strawberry, not a bomb.” Corrin sighed and pulled her hand back, staring with resignation at what was destined to become a stain. “They don’t just burst spontaneously.” Catching a glimpse of the disappointed, ashamed look on her husband’s face, Corrin leaned forward and nuzzled her nose against his cheek. “Hey, now. Everyone makes mistakes,” she whispered in his ear. “You don’t have to be Prince Xander around me,” she reminded him. “Just be yourself.”

Xander turned and touched her nose tip with his own. “Thank you, my little princess,” he whispered, and his breath was even hotter than the summer sun against her cheeks. “Now show me how to pick berries,” he went on, raising his chin and shifting his attention back to the task at hand. Corrin knew very well that he was accustomed to making mistakes. Accustomed to underperformance. Accustomed to fearing that he would never succeed or never be good enough.

Accustomed to rising above expectations and working tirelessly to be the best that he could be.

“I can’t believe that I get to teach you today,” she commented, and she beamed at him with a smile brighter than the sun’s rays. “Okay, so when picking strawberries,” she began, and she scanned the bush for a proper test subject. Her eyes rested upon a fat berry sprinkled with seeds and as red as her eyes. “You want to pick a firm berry that won’t break underneath your touch-- but that happens to people all the time, by the way!” she added quickly, fearful of making the prince feel guilty again. “You use your forefinger and your thumb to gently grab the stem right above the body of the berry,” Corrin went on, demonstrating as she pinched the stem, “then you tug quickly and briskly, twisting the stem a little so that it snaps!” She yanked on the stem and turned it to the side, and the berry popped off of the bush and rolled into her palm. “Ta-dah!” The princess excitedly held out her hand to show off the little fruit resting there.

The blond man scratched his chin and then reached up to brush a few stray curls out of his face. With a deep inhale, he rolled up his sleeves and then whipped around to face the bush. His eyes darted wildly over its emerald green leaves and ruby red berries, until he found one that looked much more maroon compared to the rest. He pinched his fingers together as if he were a tiny crab, then slowly stretched his hand towards the thick stem attaching the berry to the bush.

“Grab,” he mumbled, and he rubbed the stem between his fingertips.. “Twist,” he went on as he flicked his wrist. “Pull.” He tugged on the tilted stem and it snapped in two. The newly-freed strawberry fell directly into his outstretched fingers. Eyes wide with surprise and delight, he turned to face Corrin, his face glowing as he gazed at her like an excited puppy who just fetched a stick.

“Excellent!” his wife praised him, and she clapped her hands excitedly. “Let’s keep going. Only pick the ones that look ready,” she added. “If we find all of the ripe strawberries in one bush, we can just move to the next one. We want to save some berries for next time.”

The two began plucking and pulling, twisting and turning, squeezing and snapping. Xander waddled around the bushes, bending over and kneeling down to make sure that he could assess it from every angle and procure the best specimens for his pie. Corrin suggested when one bush was finished and they should carry on to the next.

The sun seemed to follow them as they navigated between the bushes and across the fields, heading westward and sinking slowly but surely towards the horizon. Pinks, oranges, and yellows began to stretch across the sky like outstretched fingers.

“Hey, Xander?” Corrin wriggled backward as she pulled out from one of the lowest branches of the bush, three strawberries in her hand. “Do you think we have enough strawberries? It’s starting to get pretty late, and I’m worried we won’t have enough time to make the pie.” She dropped the berries in her basket and then stretched her arms up towards the sky, elongating her back. As soon as she had backed out, she caught wind of a familiar fruity nectar. “Xander?”

“Mmm?”

She peered around the other side of the bush where Xander sat among a pile of fallen leaves, and her jaw dropped when she saw the crimson color that coated his lips. “Xander!” she exclaimed, and he whirled around to face her with a startled look on his face.

A startled, sheepish look.

“I…” he began, and his voice cracked. He coughed slightly and cleared his throat. “You see,” he restarted, sounding deeper and more confident, “when you suggested that the first strawberry might have been a bomb because it burst so easily, I needed to test another berry to ensure that they were safe for consumption.” He folded his arms over his chest and nodded, as if his noble demeanor would somehow justify his actions.

Corrin raised an eyebrow and shook her head. “Xander, we need these for the pie.” She brushed some sweaty white locks out of her face and behind her pointed ears. She couldn’t exactly blame him for his moment of weakness, though. They had been outside for hours, and the heat was brutal. She had brought canteens of water, but the idea of having that sweet sugar in her system was… tempting, to say the least. “Was it sweet?”

“Pardon?” Xander rubbed the back of his hand against his mouth, trying to erase any evidence of his lapse in judgment.

“We need to make sure we picked the sweetest strawberries,” Corrin stated matter-of-factly. Hopefully he couldn’t hear her stomach beginning to rumble and whine. “Was it sweet?”

Xander picked up his basket and scooted closer to her. “Would you like to taste?” he murmured, with a mischievous and knowing glint in his eye.

Corrin nodded enthusiastically, and she closed her eyes and parted her lips. A warm, sickeningly sweet sensation swept through her body as something plump and juicy pressed up against her mouth.

It wasn’t a strawberry, but rather the familiar fruity taste of her husband’s kisses.

The princess would have been the first to admit that the kiss caught her off guard, but she allowed herself to sink into it. They locked lips and Corrin caught a whiff of the scent of freshly picked strawberries, and their aroma encouraged her to push further, deeper into the kiss. Xander responded in turn, and his hand slowly crept up to her chin and then onto her cheek. He grabbed a hold of her, and she reached out to cling onto his bicep, steadying herself as she leaned forward and swept her tongue across his lips, trying to consume more of that refreshing flavor. A lick. A kiss. A little nibble.

The sudden prick of her canines against his skin seemed to snap Xander to his senses, and he moved his hands to her shoulders as he pulled away. His face was a brighter red than any of the berries they had picked, but in all honesty, Corrin couldn’t ascertain whether his brick-colored blush was the result of embarrassment or sunburn.

“I think it’s sweet enough,” Corrin declared at last. She smiled softly at her husband and then leaned forward to give him a quick peck on his sweaty forehead. “Let’s go share with everyone else.”

“I’d rather not,” he muttered as he rose to his feet, and his (now swollen) lip protruded in a pout once again.

“We’re sharing the  _ berries _ !” Corrin cried out as realization dawned on her, her face turning the same color as the sunset surrounding them. “The berries!”

They walked hand in hand back to the castle, sharing a few more strawberry-sweet smooches along the way.

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR THE COMMISSION, LIA. I LOVE YOU. <3


End file.
